Global recruitment and talent solutions company Hudson and Australian global online jobs and employment group SEEK are joining corporate start-up accelerator Slingshot to lead Australia’s first HR-tech start-up accelerator.
The three companies say the accelerator — Human Capital — is the first of its kind in Australia and will help progressive corporate leaders reinvent the human capital elements of their businesses by connecting them with the best disruptive HR / tech start-ups.
Mark Steyn, chief executive, Asia Pacific, Hudson, says the 12-week programme, set to kick off in March, will seek out the most innovative and disruptive start-ups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs in the “future of work” space, and foster deep collaboration with corporate leaders across Australia’s HR industry.
“Today’s workplace is changing rapidly. The ways in which we find jobs, organisations identify and engage talent, and the significant potential of talent analytics to boost business performance are all evolving at a breakneck pace,” Steyn says.
{loadposition peter}“Technology can provide a powerful way to support this change, and Hudson is eager to collaborate with entrepreneurs who are passionate about improving the future of work and driving the next wave of HR-tech innovation. Human Capital creates an opportunity for Hudson to connect today’s leading entrepreneurs with our global resources and extensive business network.”
And, Andrew Bassat, chief executive and Co-Founder, SEEK, says the company is excited to be part of Slingshot “and in particular to support the generation of Australian entrepreneurs”.
“As a start-up that was born out of disruption, SEEK has since evolved to a global business with A$5 billion market capitalisation. We believe that SEEK has much to offer the next generation of high growth companies. Through this programme, SEEK will look to share its experience, and hopefully find opportunities to help 'scale up' new businesses via our relationships with over 700,000 hirers and 150 million candidates.”
Karen Lawson, chief executive of Slingshot and former chief executive of CareerOne, says the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) will join the accelerator programme as a supporting partner, bringing its extensive talent and academic networks and reflecting a shared commitment to using new technology and innovative thinking to create Australia’s next big ideas.
Lawson says the programme is open to accepting additional corporate partners who are interested in driving innovation and disruption in Australia’s work environment.
“Disruption is here to stay and forward-thinking businesses like Hudson and SEEK know that continued success requires reinvention. Increasingly, models for that reinvention are being shaped from the outside by innovative technology Startups. By engaging with these Startups, businesses can tap into new technologies, business models and consumer/market behaviours to rethink the entire HR value-chain.”
According to Lawson, Slingshot is the only Australian corporate accelerator programme to include a structured 12-week learning programme including weekly workshop sessions delivered by industry experts, and she says start-ups and scale-ups that have gone through a Slingshot-run accelerator have a combined market capitalisation of more than $42 million, with more than 80% still active or acquired.
Start-ups accepted into Human Capital will receive up to $50,000 from the Slingshot Investment Fund for 10% of the equity in the business as well as training and resources, a support team of mentors and access to a co-working space.